Articles

Skull
Mind Control and You.... and Them... By: Skull

Mind control abilities have always been avoided or very poorly executed due to their extremely powerful/angering nature so here are some tips on how to use it properly to enhance your game.

by Skull
125xp
6 replies
2247 views
Clemmensen
The 4 Sentence Tool By: Clemmensen

The 4 Sentence Tool is a quick way to describe a NPCs personality in greater detail using the 4 sentences: Fascinated by, Seduced by, Offended by and Frightened by.

Knowing more about your NPC's personality and behavioral patterns as a GM, makes it easier for you to interact with the players and create memorable NPCs.

by Clemmensen
285xp
11 replies
3279 views
3 HoHs
EmilioV
Evoking Places in a Game By: EmilioV

A set of basic things to remember that will aid your description of the places your players are in.

by EmilioV
245xp
10 replies
2945 views
JohnnFour
How To Create Great Magic Items In Just Three Minutes By: JohnnFour

Busy GMs need help prepping for games faster. And you can create fantastic magic items in just three minutes using my stat block.

by JohnnFour
350xp
10 replies
8690 views
4 HoHs
Rosella
History Can be Fun By: Rosella

An alternate way to present your campaigns history, (or a weapon/piece of equipments legacy) to your players.

by Rosella
245xp
13 replies
3676 views
2 HoHs
Vigiler
You've GOT to play it in character! By: Vigiler

GMs definitely need to enforce strict "in character" play, eliminate "across the table" chatter, and by doing so - set the scene for an awesome role-play experience!

by Vigiler
215xp
14 replies
3993 views
2 HoHs
MoonHunter
Roddenberry Writes I By: MoonHunter

In the World of Star Trek," authored by David Gerrold, Gene Roddenberry explains how a central character trying to solve one or more needs builds drama into any type of story.

by MoonHunter
70xp
4 replies
3468 views
Kuseru Satsujin
Fantasy Land Ownership By: Kuseru Satsujin

Advice on how to handle land ownership in fantasy settings.

by Kuseru Satsujin
190xp
12 replies
5325 views
1 HoH
Nobody
PC's and Artifacts of Legend By: Nobody

Ever wanted to add a legendary artifact to your campaign, but you were worried about PC's getting their hands on it?
Or you put the Legendary item in your game and the PC's already managed to get it?

What to do, and how to fix it.

by Nobody
180xp
6 replies
6825 views
2 HoHs
ephemeralstability
Teaching the Rules By: ephemeralstability

With first-time players, learning the rules may seem like a burden and rolling up characters can be glossed over. We used a new method for explaining the rules and creating characters which the Harry Potter-setting made possible and which I would recommend using in other adventures.

by ephemeralstability
120xp
9 replies
7246 views
MoonHunter
Gaming is Like Pizza By: MoonHunter

From Feudal Japan to the modern Pizzaria, you can learn a great deal about gaming from food.

by MoonHunter
95xp
8 replies
5376 views
cmagoun2
Magical Magic Items By: cmagoun2

A little advice on magic items reposted from the Runebearer website.

by cmagoun2
225xp
8 replies
10199 views
2 HoHs
EchoMirage
Elemental Affinities By: EchoMirage

As a way of defining your character better

by EchoMirage
195xp
16 replies
9732 views
2 HoHs
MoonHunter
Mirror Characters By: MoonHunter

If you are a GM you will frequently find yourself in need of quality allies and enemies for your campaign and find yourself pressed for time. Any old NPC will often not do. You want someone with a full conceptions and some history.

by MoonHunter
145xp
13 replies
12826 views
MoonHunter
'The Speed Limit is ' - about Magic Items By: MoonHunter

I have to admit I HATE the number of casual magic items that appear in the average fantasy game, D20 being the worst. The amount of magic is being reinforced by the rules and the treasure chart. They are just 'power ups' of the video game nature. They don't add anything to the game except requiring bigger and badder bad guys.

by MoonHunter
155xp
16 replies
12017 views
1 HoH
MoonHunter
Roll Playing Fixes By: MoonHunter

Say, MoonHunter, have any packs to give to a character to make them actually roleplay instead of just dictating their character's actions? The majority of my players just do this.

ME:'You see a grizzled old knight with a scar over his face. He walks up to you and greets you with an ancient Cardomian salute, though he is unfamiliar to your eye.'
THEM:'I say 'Hi.'
ME:'That's it?'
THEM:'Yes. Now, I walk around him and open the door.'
ME:'But, but, he's an important story character!'
THEM:'F**k the story! I want gold and XP, dammit!'
ME:'I hate you more than you'll ever know.'

by MoonHunter
105xp
5 replies
7947 views
MoonHunter
Running Tactical Scenes at Lightning Speeds with Many Players By: MoonHunter

Action sequences in movies are fast, furious, and over all to fast. They are exciting moments that most gamers are looking forward to. Yet combat in most games is slow, ponderous, and takes up much game time. Gamers tend to blame the game systems. It is not the System, it is the group.

by MoonHunter
110xp
15 replies
12176 views
MoonHunter
The Crawl, Doing It the Cinematic Way By: MoonHunter

I am not a normal fantasy GM. If a player is delving through a dark tomb searching for loot in my campaign, he is probably on a fruitless quest. I dislike the dungeon crawl. I have since the earliest years of DnD. I mean where in Tolkein did they really crawl through a dungeon or other tomb/ place of mystery?

by MoonHunter
170xp
13 replies
7444 views
1 HoH
ephemeralstability
Inventing Languages By: ephemeralstability

Language is an essential part of any culture. Culture wouldn't exist without some form of communication, and humans communicate by speaking. But the connection is deeper even than that. The language helps to define the culture which uses it, and is in turn affected by that culture. This dynamic process is what keeps a language 'alive': Latin is a dead language because the culture to which it belonged no longer exists.

by ephemeralstability
290xp
23 replies
18543 views
4 HoHs
MoonHunter
Lights, Camera, Action By: MoonHunter

What makes great entertainment for Gamers? Movies. They love action movies, even if their favorite pastime is reading books, writing websites, learning ancient languages, or gaming like madmen. If you pattern your games and campaigns after movies, you are sure to have an entertaining game.

by MoonHunter
240xp
11 replies
8327 views
2 HoHs